When Gov. Jodi Rell came to town a little more than a year ago for the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the $60million Route 72 extension project, officials said the work would be done in June 2009.
Now it looks as though the massive construction project won't be done until at least year's end and possibly not until 2010.
"It's almost anybody's guess" when the work will be finished, said city Public Works Director Walter Veselka.
Mayor Art Ward said that initially the new four-lane road was to be done by July 2009, then it was pushed back to September and now he's hearing December.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said Thursday it would be 2010.
"I know," Ward responded.
The $60 million project was supposed take 19 months for completion of a 2.4-mile extension from the end of the expressway in Plainville to Riverside Avenue just south of the railroad bridge on Middle Street.
The New Britain-based Manafort Brothers got the contract in August 2007 to carry out the work.
Finishing by the late spring of 2009 would require "a pretty aggressive schedule," the former state transportation commissioner, Ralph Carpenter, said at the groundbreaking. But, he said, it would be done.
Veselka said contractors plan to work on a new bridge over the Pequabuck River over the winter, but Manafort is beginning to lock down the road work for the winter.
The new road will feature a sunken, boulevard-type street slicing through a residential section between Route 372 in Plainville and Yarde's Pond. Parts of it will be as much as 17 feet beneath the surrounding terrain.
After that section, the four-lane road will follow the existing right of way on Pine Street before crossing a new Pequabuck River bridge in order to align directly with Riverside Avenue.
Ten intersections with traffic lights will be included along the new road.
Check back over the weekend. I'll add some photographs that Paul Blanchette took from his helicopter that show the progress so far.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
F-you Bristol elected and appointed leaders, the state and the chamber of commerce for pushing this debacle through. This project stinks, it accomplishes virtually nothing and it causes misery and pain. To hell with you all!
The delay merely sets back the inevitable bottleneck trying to get anywhere once you exit the highway .
10 NEW traffic lights? What's the point of this project anyway?
I think this project will ease a lot of traffic woes and I am excited about it. These things always take longer than expected.. you have to figure it in.
It is looking like the only thing this new Route 72 will do is split the city in two. Those who live in the Forestville section of town will just go to Southington to shop, eat out etc. instead of trying to cross over this mess of a road.
8:54am - do us a favor, go back to bed and pull the plastic pillow case over your head real tight, for a real long time.
12:48 PM
The forestville section of Bristol has ALWAYS wanted to seperate themselves from the City of Bristol anyway....
so this will just help their cause...
Does ONE City need 2 Memorial Day Parades?
Are they a "neighborhood" or would they rather be their own entity?
Forestville
Forestville
Forestville
Forestville
Does ONE City need 2 Memorial Day Parades?
Are they a "neighborhood" or would they rather be their own entity?
November 21, 2008 8:50 PM
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How about poor old Terryville . At least Bristol is larger and more productive than Forestville .
Plymouth is merely an inconvenience to traffic in getting from Thomaston to Terryville/Bristol , yet they rule with an iron fist over Terryville .
All of the town of Plymouth's elected officials live in the Terryville section of Plymouth. If there's an "iron fist", it belongs to Terryville's own.
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